THE boar’s defence. 
389 
greater height than twenty inches at the shoulder, 
their thorough forest habits render the full-grown 
Boar a powerful and artful combatant. As long as 
he runs, and seeks his safety in flight, pursuit both to 
the hound and the hunter has little hazard attending 
it ; but the moment he has reached some vantage 
spot, — an angular rock, or the buttress roots of 
some large tree, sufficient to cover him in the rear, — 
and he faces round, and stands, he is a dangerous 
enemy to encounter. His ability to cut with his 
tusks on the right hand and on the left, and his habit 
of striking a short upward blow in front by taking 
one step forward, render him in such a fastness un- 
approachable. As long as he maintains this position, 
he absolutely defies the assailant dogs to touch him. 
No animal can be conceived cooler, none more bold, 
nor more thoroughly intent on keeping himself un- 
wearied in the labour of defence, by little exertion 
in the means of defending himself, than a well- 
toothed Boar, in such a hold. Let his back be in 
a corner, and there are but eighteen inches between 
him and death to any ordinary dog that will face 
him in the forest. 
‘‘The best developed domesticated Hog of the 
original African breed that I have seen, was a boar 
of the blue variety; and the best display of wood- 
land instinct that I have witnessed was recently 
exhibited in some young pigs of this blue breed, 
brought from the commons and forest runs of a 
mountain farm, and domiciled in town. Three 
of these country pigs, a boar and two sows, had 
taken up with a black pig and some four young fol- 
